


Free Falling

by yahootoldyou



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Angst, Family Drama, Gen, M/M, Sith Luke Skywalker, Sith Obi-Wan, Suitless Vader, very very AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-20
Updated: 2018-05-11
Packaged: 2019-03-21 12:18:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13740708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yahootoldyou/pseuds/yahootoldyou
Summary: I am my mother’s daughter, my father’s daughter. I am the princess of Alderaan.My name is Leia Organa, I’m nineteen- and my planet-No.My mother is dead. My father is dead. My planet is dead. My friends-Well, they may as well be dead too. Vader has them right where he wants them.OR: Han and Leia take off on an adventure to save Luke from Darth Vader and the mysterious Ben... But does Luke want to be saved?





	1. Chapter 1

Leia Organa looks at the ground, or rather, the lack thereof. The hole in front of her gapes wide open and she swallows audibly. 

For one long, horrible moment, she’s back on the Death Star, staring out of the viewport as Alderaan explodes, taking the familiar presences of her parents with it into the abyss of the force itself. 

_I am my mother’s daughter, my father’s daughter. I am the princess of Alderaan._

_My name is Leia Organa, I’m nineteen- and my planet-_

_No._

“Luke,” she whispers and the reality of it all comes crashing down around her. 

_My mother is dead. My father is dead. My planet is dead. My friends-_

Well, they may as well be dead too, Vader has them right where he wants them. 

He’s chased her to this edge, the planet gaping open in front of her. The hole is long and deep and it may lead to safety, but she can’t be sure of that. Leaving would mean leaving Luke and Han behind on Bespin in the hands Vader or… _worse_ and both options are horrible. Luke’s lightsaber hangs in her hand, useless by her waist. The rebellion needs her, the remaining citizens of her home need her, the galaxy needs her, can she really be selfish and stay?

“Leia,” the man says from behind her and of course she isn’t lucky. Of course the one that came after her isn’t the one with a breathing problem that alerts you to his presence. No, this is worse. Far, far worse. She ignites the blue blade at her side and swings around, pointing it at his head. 

“Ahsoka told me who you are,” she accuses, “I will not be fooled like Luke has.” The man’s yellow eyes glint in the white light of the planet’s cloudy atmosphere. Where is Vader? Why is it him that has cornered her here? At least with Vader she knows what to expect. 

More empty promises and shallow threats. More crap, but at least she leaves with her life. 

 

_“What do you say if you’re ever in danger?” Queen Breha asks, squatting in front of her very young daughter. Leia tilts her head up at her mother, flashing her a big smile, tiny teeth on full display._

_“My name is Leia Organa. I’m six and my planet is Alderaan,” she repeats and her mother nods, a small smile on her face._

_“What do you say if they don’t immediately contact us?” She pushes again and Leia frowns, her tiny face scrunching up._

_“I am Leia Organa, Princess of Alderaan. I am my mother’s daughter and my father’s daughter. Return me home at once,” she answers and Breha sighs in relief._

_“Very good, Leia! My sweet girl,” she croons, opening her arms for her daughter to fling herself into them. She hugs her mother as if she’s going to disappear from her arms at any moment._

 

 

_My name is Leia Organa. I’m twenty-two years old now and my planet is gone. My mother is dead, my father is dead, but I will always be their daughter._

_I will always be Alderaanian._

“What did she tell you then?” The man with the golden eyes and the charming smile asks, but his face is serious now. He isn’t a politician who took interest in a young girl at imperial balls and various functions any longer. He is no longer a friendly face to seek out when her parents were busy just to speak to so she could be brave in the face of so many adults. 

No, he isn’t Ben any more. He probably was never was. 

“Your name is Obi-Wan Kenobi… You were a Jedi,” she admits, the lightsaber still pointing to the point right between his eyes. Lowering her guard against the wolf who has shed his sheep’s clothing is not an option.

“I’m no Jedi, Young One, and neither is your pathetic attempt at a master,” he scoffs, mocking his old student slightly. 

“Ahsoka is the only person who told me the truth,” she defends, “you and my parents lied to me my entire life.” Obi-Wan’s lips quirk into a cruel smirk. He steps closer, noticing the way Leia’s arm is beginning to tremble slightly. She was never trained in saber combat, just shielding and basic tricks with the force. Her parents wanted her safe, but she was never meant for the Jedi. 

She panics, knowing her options are running thin. He will not back down. He will take her if she lets him.

“Come with us, Young One. Be with me, your friend. Be with Han and Luke, who have surrendered. Be with your father. Be with your _family,_ ” he pleads, his hand moving to wrap his fingers around the hilt to disarm her and had he not made one crucial mistake, she may have. She rips the hilt out of his reach, spinning and bringing it up to defend her face. 

“You will _never_ be my family,” she hisses, remembering the planet that raised her. 

 

_“Mama, I want to go home,” a young Leia says to her mother who pauses in the middle of her conference. She looks down at her sullen child with a frown at first, but quickly smiles._

_“Recess! We will resume after a nice lunch,” she declares, dispersing her advisors from the room. Some grumble, but most seem thankful for the reprieve. Her mother holds her arms out for Leia to walk between and when she does, she finds herself hoisted onto her mother’s lap._

_“My Sweet Girl… This world is your home, your family. Forever will Alderaan be in your heart, and forever will you be in theirs,” the queen says to the princess and Leia’s face scrunches in thought._

_“I want to be with my ships,” she says instead, knowing calling the palace home would just get another speech about how when on Alderaan she is always home. Her mother laughs, knowing Leia loves to play with her model ships more than anything._

_“Clever girl,” she boops her on the nose, “I will have your Aunt Ashla come pick you up.”_

 

“You are a _Skywalker,_ ” Kenobi hisses and she raises and eyebrow at him, her brown eyes burning with a fire he recognizes all too well. 

She may be a Skywalker, he concedes, but she is Amidala and Organa too. Her ability to be stubborn is astounding. 

“I am an _Organa._ I have always _been_ an Organa. I will always _be_ an Organa.” She looks at him one last time and then over his shoulder. Luke, her brother, is inside of that very city. Her twin. 

Above anything else, one thing is true. Luke and Han are her family. They’ve kept her safe for so long and she loves them. 

She looks back at the man for a moment and he seems to understand what she plans to do at the very last second because his hand shoots out, reaching for her arm, but she’s already gone, running for the edge and leaping, the air swallowing her up as she freefalls. 

 

_“Mama, I’m scared,” Leia cries, hiding her face in her mother’s robes. The queen lifts her into her arms, nudging her face to look at the horizon, showing her the Alderaanian sunset. Leia hiccups, her cries dying as she takes in the sky that looks like a painting._

_“Darling, the height is of no consequence. The fear of falling is in your mind, but the heights you will discover in your life will prove this to you in time. Besides, if you ever fall I will always save you,” she says to the distraught girl and Leia rubs her tears away, blinking up at her mother._

_“Promise?” She asks and Breha laughs softly, the tufts of her sweet smelling breath hitting the face of her young daughter. Leia takes comfort in all that her mother is, all that she has said and done. She can only hope that one day she will be half the woman her mother is._

_“I promise,” her mother says, “don’t I always kiss your booboos?”_

 

As Leia falls, she closes her eyes, smiling as the air whips past her, her braid coming undone, her hair cascading with her as she descends into the pit.

 _Catch me, Mama._

 

 

 

 

Luke goes to take off after his sister, but a hand locks on his shoulder. He looks up into the mask of Lord Vader himself. The mask he knows now, is a fake handicap, something to make people feel safe. The man reached up, releasing the hatch and unleashing the long blonde curls that await inside of it. Luke scowls up at his father. 

“You could have been gentle,” he accuses and Vader scoffs. He rolls his eyes, moving away from his father. They had been planning this for a while, the way they would inform Leia of their relationship to each other and their father. He had fallen back when Vader cornered him on Cymoon 1, Obi-Wan recognizing him almost instantly. The men had told him the truth, exposing the lies his Aunt and Uncle and Ahsoka had told him while he was growing up. 

Leia is his twin sister. His father is Darth Vader. His father is in love with who was once Obi-Wan Kenobi, but now chooses to be called Ben. 

“I will get her,” Ben says, taking off after Leia at a much faster pace than Luke would think possible at his age. Luke watches worriedly. He wants, more than anything, for Leia to join them, but he knows it might not happen. 

“What happens if she doesn’t join us, Father?” he asks, and Vader looks over at him, his golden eyes blank. Luke knows it’s taking an immense amount of effort for him to be this calm, so he doesn’t push. Vader’s panicky rage is a thing nobody needs right now. 

“Kid! _Kid!_ ” Han screeches, coming over at full speed, Chewie behind him. Luke smiles at him, grabbing his hand and stroking it with his thumb to calm Han down. The man is huffing and puffing and Luke thinks he’s adorable like this. Han looks over at his father, his eyes scrutinizing and then very, very afraid. 

“Captain Solo,” Vader acknowledges and Han squeaks, moving back into the comforting front of Chewbacca. Vader’s smirk deepens and Han looks between Luke and Vader for a moment. 

“Uh, Kid… Can I talk to you? …Alone?” He asks, placing a hand in the crook of Luke’s elbow. Luke smiles a what he hopes is a reassuring grin, walking over to a corner with Han, feeling his father’s eyes on him all the while. He pulls Han down into a fierce kiss, smiling as he bites the man’s bottom lip. He pulls away, smiling up at Han whose face is still pinched. 

“Is that… _Vader?”_ He asks eventually, bringing a hand up to ruffle his hair. 

“Yes,” Luke says and offers no elaboration. He wants Han to stay and if he thinks Leia’s in trouble he won’t. Luke frowns for a moment. Leia _is_ in danger. He doesn’t know what Ben will do if she refuses to join their cause. 

Reality crashes down around him all at once. He may be safe with his father and Ben, but Leia and Han aren't. Not yet anyway.

His sister will not waver in her pursuit of justice. This is both her greatest asset and her greatest weakness. He needs to save her. He may have fallen, but her wellbeing and Han’s is the most important thing. He breathes, closing his eyes and calling upon the light he still has deep down. 

He needs to let Han go so that he can rescue Leia. 

He needs to be without them for a little while. 

“Han, I need you to go,” he says, and he can feel his heart breaking. His face tells Han that he's serious, that this may be goodbye for a little while. 

“Luke?” His eyes shine with tears and Luke swallows heavily, a lump in his throat suddenly.

“You’ll hear things about me, Han, but just know… I _love_ you. I love you more than I love flying,” he promises and moves in to hug him, _"please save her."_ Han backs away at his whispered plea, their hands still connected. Luke can feel Vader’s eyes on him and he needs Han to run, needs it to look like Luke is hurt. 

“I know,” Han whispers, keeping his face carefully grim and then tears his hand from Luke’s, turning and running with Chewbacca hot on his tail. 

_He’s coming, Leia. Stay safe._

Luke watches him go with tear filled eyes and then turns to face the wrath of his father. 


	2. Who are you?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke and Leia deal with their separation.

Leia clutches herself in a hug, her arms wrapped around her midsection as she stares out at the stars. Han is silent next to her, looking out as they zoom away from Bespin once and for all hopefully. Chewie slumbers behind them, relaxing for the first time in what feels like forever. Han and Leia haven’t spoken since he opened the hatch and let her drop in to the hatch of the Falcon, catching her in his familiar arms. She knows they both have questions, have them sitting, waiting at the edge of their tongues, but they haven’t let them spill over. 

They both know that they’ve abandoned Luke to the Sith. Neither wants to be the first to admit it. 

Leia doesn’t know how to address that she’s the daughter of a Sith Lord, that one of her most trusted political allies is a Sith Lord, that her twin brother is a Sith Lord. It’s beginning to look like a slippery slope for her. Her one hand brushes against the lightsaber on her hip, one she knows belonged to a Jedi once. 

Her brother’s kind heart has been poured into this weapon and as such, she will cherish it. She has nothing left of her mother or her father, but she wears the necklace of a mineral local to Alderaan and now she wears the saber of a Jedi. 

She doesn’t want to admit that she could be the daughter of both, but maybe that’s what will save her. 

Yes, she can admit now that she isn’t being cornered, she is a Skywalker. She can see it in the shape of her chin in the reflection of the viewport in the falcon. She can see it in the way she’s always fought, ferociously and offensively. 

She is a _Skywalker._

But she is first and foremost an _Organa._

Her mother and father are the ones who instilled her values, who taught her that love is never a bad thing. They are the ones who taught her selfless love, the love for a planet, the love for people she has never met. Leia has always been a fighter, and that may be the Skywalker in her, but the fact that she fights for Justice? 

That comes from the fact that she is an Organa. 

Princess Leia Organa, one of the few survivors of her culture, of her home. 

She cannot become a Sith, she won’t. To do so would betray everything that Alderaanians uphold and believe in. 

Her brother… He is born of a desert; a land where they fight only for their own survival and the survival of the ones that they love. He didn’t have a planet backing him and his aunt and uncle were murdered.

He is a product of a lack of love, but somehow he has the largest capacity to love that she has ever seen. So that is why she can’t understand why he’s gone to the dark side. Is it because there he will get the family he’s always dreamed of? She doesn’t know. She won’t know until she can speak to him again and honestly, she has no idea when that may be. 

She is a product of love, but she is fickle with her own, only trusting a few to actually be close to her personally. It’s as if loving a whole planet, loving a galaxy, has made making personal connections to a few impossibly hard. Luke and Han are her only real friends, Mon Mothma her mentor, Ahsoka her master, and… And until recently, Ben had been her political advisor, a helper who fed her information to give to the Rebellion.

It burns to know that the Empire has been controlling that flow of information all of this time- to know that Ben was using her as a pawn. He had never really cared for her. 

“Have you ever been in love?” She asks out of the blue, startling even herself slightly. She hadn’t meant to ask, but she needed to know for some reason. She herself had never had time for falling in love, still didn’t really, but Han… Han and Luke have something there, she’s sure of it. 

“Once,” he admits as they sit in silence and her brown eyes find his, looking for answers he may not be willing to give. His eyes dart over to look at her for a moment, but he looks out of the viewport again, his mouth set in a firm line. 

“When did it end?” She questions and Han spins around, standing to walk out of the cockpit, patting Chewie on the shoulder as he does. Chewie grumbles, turning his head and nestling into the head cushion a bit. Leia’s lips quirk in a small, fond smile, but she hasn’t forgotten that Han has not yet answered the question. He stops in the doorway, looking over his shoulder.

“...It hasn’t,” he responds finally before walking back into the ship, probably to get some rest, leaving Leia to think about what he’s said. It was only two words, but those words mean everything. 

Han loves Luke. He _loves_ him. And he left because Leia needed his help and Luke… Luke was willing to stay. She owes Han her freedom at this point. She nearly shrieks when Chewie plops himself in the seat Han abandoned and he chuckles low in his throat. She smiles at him again. 

For all of them, she will rescue Luke from Vader and Ben. _Even if…_ Even if it means knocking him out and dragging him onboard the Falcon. Even if it means they have to restrain him. Eventually he will see reason, she’s _sure_ of it, she just has to get him away from the Empire and the Sith. 

In order to do that though… She _needs_ to be trained. She can’t take on three fully trained siths with no training beyond the shields and minimal combat training she had from when she was younger. She needs a Master… A _Jedi_ Master. 

Unfortunately, the only one she’s ever met was captured by Vader on Malachor. Leia leans back, thinking to herself for a moment before realizing they literally have no choice. 

“Chewie?” She asks and he grumbles from the pilot’s chair. They have about six standard hours until they reach Arbra, where the Alliance is currently hiding from the Empire.

“When we reach Arbra we need some fresh resources, but it’s going to be a short stop,” she says and his head whips to look at her. She smiles apologetically.

“We’re going to Mustafar, I have to break someone out of prison,” she says and Chewie glares for a moment before sighing dramatically and nodding his head. Leia smiles, patting him on the shoulder. 

She’ll inform Han of her plan when he wakes up. 

_Don’t worry, Luke, I’ll save you._

 

 

 

 

Luke paces the room, glaring at both Ben and his father whenever one of them tries to speak. He knew Leia was going to escape, but they can’t know that. If he is going to keep himself in a favorable position, they have to think that he is disappointed in them for letting Han and Leia get away. 

“You let her go,” he accuses Ben who sits with his legs and hands folded, his face serene as his bored gaze meets Luke’s. Vader fidgets next to Ben, clearly uncomfortable with his son accusing Ben of anything. Luke glares at his father until the man looks away. 

“She jumped and free fell for over a hundred feet, Luke. I didn’t _let her go_ , she committed suicide and _happened to survive,_ ” the man snarks back at him, Luke’s features hardening with anger. 

“You could have _stopped her,_ ” he growls and Ben unfolds his body, standing languidly, a picture of serenity still as he meets Luke eye to eye, both men not being that tall. 

“Your sister will be back,” he promises, clasping Luke on the shoulder, “for now we must focus on the next part of the plan. Nothing can stand in our way.” At this, Vader too rises, coming to stand on Luke’s other side as he is guided to a viewport. Luke knows that Ben is right; his sister will be back because Luke is here. He knows Leia will do everything in her power to come and get him. To _save_ him. He almost wishes he could tell her not to in person, but he will go on the holonet and claim loyalty to the Empire in front of the galaxy and then… Then maybe she will stop trying to be a hero and save him. 

His odds are not good though. 

“All of this will be _ours_ , Luke. There will be nowhere for your sister to hide when we kill the Emperor,” Ben declares, smirking out towards the universe. 

…All of the stars will be Luke's if he goes through with this. He can overthrow Palpatine and they will put him on the throne.

Then he can give it to Leia and she can do what she pleases with it. Rule or give it to the alliance, he couldn’t care less. For the mean time, he gets to have a relationship with Ben and his father, gets to know the life he might have lead if he weren’t put on Tatooine…

_Why was he put on Tatooine?_

“That’s all well and good, but first you owe me some answers,” he says and Ben’s expression flattens, the man turning to stare harshly at Luke, but the boy won’t back down, “What happened? Why was I raised on Tatooine? Where is my mother?” Vader stiffens at the last question, but Ben’s expression doesn’t change. He regards Luke for a moment before nodding, leading the boy away from Vader. The man begins to follow, but Ben holds up a hand, halting Vader where he stands. 

“This is a history you will have _no part_ in telling, Anakin,” Ben orders and Vader falls back, moving towards the bridge even as his expression is thunderous. Luke watches him go curiously, but Ben puts an insistent hand on the crook of his elbow, dragging him along towards where his quarters are. When they reach them, Ben opens the door to the rooms, gesturing for Luke to enter ahead of him. Luke looks back at him as he does, worried for a moment that Ben is going to threaten him. 

_I almost wish it were Vader following me in… At least then I know what to expect._

“Sit,” Ben orders, motioning towards the bed in one corner of the room as he leans against the wall, his grey outfit blending in except for the shock of greying bronze on his head. His expression is grim, but nevertheless he waits for Luke to perch on the edge of the plain bed. 

When they’re apparently both settled, he takes a deep breath. 

“I put you on Tatooine,” he admits finally and Luke controls himself, just barely preventing the gasp on the tip of his tongue. He opens his mouth to question the man, but Ben puts a hand up, signaling Luke to wait. 

“Your father, mother, and myself were in a… _relationship._ We loved each other. When she got pregnant, Anakin lost his mind with paranoia, his nightmares began getting away from him,” Ben pauses, moving to stand in front of Luke’s viewport on the ship they’re currently using. Luke can’t see his face, but it’s as if Ben is hiding, as if he doesn’t want Luke to see what he feels. It feels as though he isn’t even Ben, isn’t the man who Luke has known for so long. He seems broken and hurt… _What happened to him?_

“He turned. I followed at some point although I’m not sure when, but it’s probably when he choked the life out of your mother while she begged him to go back towards the light,” he chuckles, bringing a hand up to rub at his eyes, “I fought him until I removed his arm and legs… Then I dragged him on a ship and locked him away before trying to save your mother’s life.”

Luke swallows around the lump that’s in his throat, not wanting to show too much weakness. Ben takes a moment to collect himself again, Luke purposely not interrupting. 

“She died after she gave birth, the doctors saying she lost the will to live, but I have another theory. I… I think the Emperor drained her life somehow. It’s why I came back in the end, why I forgave your father. I had to make sure you two weren’t found and I wanted to know why she was dead. _All_ of these years and I have _no_ answers,” Ben finally turns around, looking Luke in the eye. 

“Your father is… _lost._ He has been for a longtime, but you and your sister, if you join us, we can fix everything. He isn’t the monster you think he is,” Ben promises and suddenly he seems like himself again. He stalks toward the bed, Luke suddenly feeling like prey pushed into a corner. The panic nearly seizes his throat, causing him to blurt out the first thing he can think of. 

“Why did you put me on Tatooine then? Why did you separate Leia and I if he _isn’t a monster?_ ” Luke questions and Obi-Wan freezes, staring down at him before he spins on his heel and nearly runs towards the door. 

_“Obi-Wan!”_ He shrieks and Ben stops, suddenly a statue in the doorway of Luke’s quarters. Luke knows he’s a flight risk, knows that Ben has said just about everything he will today. He needs to pick his last question wisely… 

Still, even if it seems trivial, there’s only one thing Luke wants to know at this second. His other questions can wait. 

“What was her name? …My mother, I mean,” he clarifies and Ben swallows, golden eyes visibly flickering between gold and a light green. He breathes for a moment, looking at Luke from the corner of his eye. 

_“Her name was Padmé,”_ he whispers, the sound heartbreaking. 

And then he'a gone... Another grey shadow along the durasteel.


	3. Chapter 3

“What happened to her?” He demands, staring down the baleful yellow eyes of his father. Vader’s head tilts, as if he doesn’t know who Luke means. Who else could he mean?

“My _mother._ What happened?” At his clarification Vader becomes steel, his eyes a cold gold suddenly. Luke sticks his jaw out further, wanting to know more than anything. It had been days since Obi-Wan had told him the truth of their past and since then Luke has been dying to know. 

The galaxy says Padmé Amidala was a dearly beloved queen on the planet of Naboo, still revered as nearly holy by her people. She was a senator in the Republic, fighting for democracy with her whole being. He will never know his mother, but he sees her face in Leia’s and in her strive to do what’s right. 

Her heart though… Her heart sounds like him. He has her nose and her height, but Luke likes to think he inherited the heart of Padmé Amidala. Perhaps he is not damned the way his father so surely is. 

“Do not speak of her,” the man standing tall above him orders and Luke sucks his teeth, angry that his father will offer him nothing else. Luke follows after Vader when the man tries to make his retreat. 

“Don’t speak of her? Because of you, I never knew her!” Vader stops, Luke smacking into the back of him and rebounding a couple feet backwards. Luke again forces himself to stare into the eyes of the most ruthless man in the galaxy and not back down. He knows Vader… cares for him. As much as he possibly can. 

Without a doubt Vader’s loyalty is to Obi-Wan now, which Luke can understand as his is to Han as well, but that doesn’t leave his sister out. When had Vader become soulless enough that he doesn’t love the child of the woman he became so fearful for.

_It is possible… You may remind him of her,_ he thinks and then shakes away. That’s not fair. He’s here to know Vader, to learn what he has missed out on all of his life. He isn’t here to offer the man his heart and redeem him, something Leia would refer to as downright foolish. 

And yet… Here he is, trying to reach a part of Vader that no one but him thinks even exists anymore. 

“You would be wise to still your tongue, Child. I do not owe you any answers,” Vader tersely orders while jabbing his pointer finger in Luke’s face, only fueling Luke’s anger further. He wouldn’t call it rage, but his father’s rejection and inability to open up fan flames he didn’t know were burning previously. 

“You owe me at least the truth about who she was! Be thankful I’m not asking for more, not asking about _how she died!_ ” Vader takes a step back as if struck, but his expression is thunderous as he glares down at his only son, the only one of his children even willing to be in his presence. 

“You owe me my life, Vader. You took it and her and everything else, you at least owe me the explanation of who she was and how I came to be,” he whispers and Vader takes another step back, looking like a caged loth cat. His teeth are bare and his eyes narrow, but it doesn’t conceal the fear residing there from Luke at all. He sees himself reflected in the gold eyes of who was once Anakin Skywalker, his father. 

_Obi-Wan still sees something in him… It’s there if you look hard enough, Luke._

He decides to keep pushing the Sith Lord. 

“Watch yourself, Skywalker. I may be your father, but I will not hesitate to show you your place,” Vader denies owing Luke a damn thing and spins away, his cloak flaring behind him. Luke snatches his wrist, noticing too late that both of the limbs are mechanical. 

His mistake is solidified as a hand impacts on his cheek, feeling his lip split open and his Jaw snap back into place as he falls to the floor. He looks up at Vader whose eyes flicker between gold and blue as he stares down at his son, the boy with his old eyes and Padmé’s soul. He knows Obi-Wan can also see how the boy is playing them, knows that Luke is getting something out of this. The boy… Is a bad actor, but as he stares up at his father Vader feels his heart pound. The blue eyes passed on by Anakin Skywalker well with tears and Vader finds himself wanting to reach out and caress the boy’s cheek where his hand abused it, to soothe the soft skin of his boy. The feeling flees as Luke opens his mouth again. 

“You know what I think, _Father?_ I think what you and Obi-Wan want to hide is that you hurt her and the fault as to why we’ve never been a family lays upon your shoulders,” Luke snarls, standing on shaky legs and still staring his father down, “Congratulations, _Anakin,_ you’ve ruined the lives of anyone who has ever had the _opportunity_ to love you.” Vader feels his fist clench, his reflexes telling him to choke his son where he stands and yet for once he refrains. This boy rakes his nerves raw, reminding him of a past that still hurts far too much to think of. Luke brushes off his knees and leaves the hangar, feeling his father’s eyes on him the entire way. 

Obi-Wan walks by as he storms down the hall, reaching a hand out to grasp at the crux of Luke’s left elbow, but Luke rips it free, only looking at the man very briefly. Obi-Wan gasps, lifting a shaking hand to brush what must be a nicely swelling bruise and Luke hisses, pulling away and continuing towards his quarters. 

“I would like to be left alone for the rest of the night,” he says, voice tight with anger and unshed tears. Obi-Wan doesn’t respond, but Luke can picture the shock and horror on the man’s face. 

_Your dog slapped his son, are you surprised?_ A part of him thinks nasty thoughts that frighten him and Luke shuts his brain down as much as possible, entering his room and quickly finding his bed. He lays there, hoping Han comes back soon and springs him. 

He was wrong, he doesn’t want to stay with the deadly ghost of Anakin Skywalker and the shell that used to be Obi-Wan Kenobi. They may have been Jedi Generals once, may have been true heroes, but they are scraps now, only pieces of what once was. He closes his eyes, tears slipping down his cheeks, and waits for sleep to claim him once more. 

 

 

 

 

Leia is piloting the Falcon with ease when Han storms back into the cockpit. 

“Now listen here, Princess. This ship has one captain and it’s me! You don’t get to hijack us on some mission when this is explicitly what Luke didn’t want! He wanted you safe!” Han fumes, lifting her from the pilot’s seat and moving her to one of the chair behind him, taking his rightful place in his seat. He looks over the controls, reading where exactly it is that she has brought them. 

“ _Mustafar?_ Are you crazy?” His eyes are wide as he spins, placing the back of his hand on her forehead, “Are you _sick_ , Your Worship?” Leia glares, swatting her brother’s lover’s hand away from her. 

“No, I’m not crazy. Besides, you should be happy we’re here. This place holds the key to bringing Luke home,” she says and Han softens, sighing. He looks conflicted. 

“I’m not sure he wants to come home, Leia. He wanted me to stay with him there until he realized you were in danger. I’m not sure there’s much left of the boy you used to know,” he admits, a terrible sorrow coming over him. Leia realizes that Han would’ve stayed, would have held on to see if any of his Luke remains in the Sith Lord’s son, but she also can feel his… relief. It’s palpable in the air around them. She doesn’t fault him for being relieved that Luke gave him an out, a way out of the awful situation Luke has placed himself in. 

She wants to believe her brother has a plan and until she is absolutely positive he doesn’t, Luke is in the clear. For now. She looks at the love of his life and breathes, she needs to reassure the trigger happy flyboy that Luke is okay. 

“Luke may be convinced this is a good thing, but we know he’d never fall. He will come back to us, Han, trust him,” she promises and Han looks so vulnerable now that she’s uprooted him, “We need to break this person out of prison so that she can help us. She’s the only one I think I can trust.” Han looks at her, conflict still clear in his eyes as the ship exits hyperspace and jerks to stillness in the sky. 

“You want to break someone out of… Mustafar? There are no prisons here, just-“

“Just Vader’s palace, I’m aware. Bring me to the surface, Nerfherder, even if I’m going in alone I’m still going in,” she confirms and Han grumbles, taking the controls and leading the Falcon down to the surface of Mustafar. 

“Who is it that you so desperately need to save?” Han asks and Leia swallows. This used to be a secret when Ahsoka originally trained her, but the men that she was hiding from know now and Han doesn’t deserve to be lied to. He, in this moment, is perhaps the only person she trusts for sure. And Chewbacca, of course. 

“Her name is Ahsoka Tano, she used to be the Jedi apprentice to Anakin Skywalker. She instructed me on the ways of the force when I was younger,” Leia explains, remembering how Ahsoka had just disappeared one day and never returned. It had taken Leia years to figure out what her adoptive father knew within weeks, Ahsoka had been found and captured by Darth Vader. She swallows the bitterness that rises in her when thoughts of all that Bail and Breha Organa had hid from her in her lifetime come around. She loves them still, but feels a betrayal that never used to be present. 

Why hadn’t they warned her? About her heritage? About Vader? About _Ben?_

Thanks to those same men, she will never have an answer. 

“Chewie, I need you to drop the Princess and I as close to the fortress as possible and then take the Falcon back out of the atmosphere until I contact you, okay? This planets not known for it’s hospitable atmosphere,” Han orders before standing and beckoning her to follow, handing her a gas mask and a cloak. 

“Don’t take these off, Your Worship. They’ll protect you from the atmosphere, but they offer you some disguise too.” She nods in response and gulps when the hatch underneath them opens, the ramp not descending. Han’s hand grips her and they leap, taking the fall from the ship, hitting the hot ground with an oomf erupting from each of them. The Falcon takes off back into space and Han and Leia stand, dusting themselves off. 

“Come on, Han. Ahsoka is this way,” she demands, taking off towards the palace. There are no guards and hardly any other way in besides the front. She’s just hoping Vader is as predictable as she hopes. There, near the door is a scanner for a pinprick of blood that will determine if you are allowed in. Leia scowls, but this was something she had considered.

She puts her finger up and allows a sterile needle to come out and prick her. The machine ticks for just a moment before the words: _Welcome, Luke_ appear on the screen. She is not her brother, but she figured he may have access and her blood composition is similar enough to trick the machine. 

Thank the force for twins, right?

They creep through the corridors, Leia seeking Ahsoka in the force. She feels her deep in the fortress, near where remnants of her brother’s signature remain. She scowls. 

“Of course they placed her that far in here. Come on, Han, we have to hurry. Vader has no doubt been alerted to our arrival,” she announces only for the scoundrel to hush her. Leia rolls her eyes, moving along. The walls are all grey and black, very sleek and very clean. The place seems so sterile, so eery and disturbing that Leia hears Han audibly gulp. Eventually they make it through the palace to where she feels Ahsoka. 

The door that blocks her from her teacher is made of thick durasteel, but Leia knows that she can cut it with the weapon on her belt. She detaches Luke’s saber, igniting it. Han’s eyes widen in awe as if he wasn’t sure she had it or that he wasn’t sure he knew how to use it. She shoves the saber through the door, cutting a hole big enough for a person to climb through. 

Han climbs through first as she turns off the saber, reattaching it to her belt. The woman inside lifts her head, blue eyes narrow and calculating. Leia follows behind, the cloak pulling off her head as she does, revealing her hair. It is enough, Ahsoka’s eyes widen, drawn to the familiar braid Leia is wearing her hair in. 

_“Leia?”_ She questions, astonished, and Leia pulls of the gas mask, grinning at one of her oldest friends. Ahsoka launches off her bed, nearly tackling Leia in a hug. 

“How did-How are-Leia?” She questions in a whisper of awe and Leia shushes her. 

“I will explain on the Falcon, but first we need to get out of here while the Sith are preoccupied,” Leia says and they follow Han back out of the hole, Leia pulling the gas mask back on as she does so. It is useless now, the cameras no doubt seeing her face in Ahsoka’s cell, but it is what it is. She is surprised when Han hands Ahsoka a mask and she smiles. Han is truly worthy of Luke. 

When they first met, she isn’t sure she would’ve approved, but now there isn’t a doubt. Han Solo is a good man. One of the best.

The trio makes their way out of Vader’s palace, Han calling Chewie to come get them. Soon, they sit in the Falcon, Leia releaved to have Ahsoka in safe hands, feeling more capable of rescuing Luke. 

She’s happy, laughing, but this feeling of dread just won’t leave her. 

_Why had it been so easy? What did it mean?_

**Author's Note:**

> i want to continue this but i wont if people don't like it, so please let me know what you think of it! thank you !


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